Raiders’ off-site Las Vegas stadium parking proposal accepted

The Raiders say they’re aiming for a quality game-day experience for fans with the four-lot satellite parking plan Clark County commissioners green-lighted Wednesday.

After a 25-minute hearing, commissioners accepted a report on a proposal to provide parking in four off-site locations — and possibly more — for all events at the 65,000-seat Las Vegas stadium scheduled to open in 2020.

Stadium Event Co. Chief Operating Officer Don Webb said a quality game-day parking experience for fans is important to the team.

“It’s the first and last point of contact for customers in any stadium event in terms of transportation and parking,” Webb said. “It sets the initial experience and forms the last impression of the customer, and therefore it’s always going to be a matter of unique importance to the Raiders, regardless of the interests of the county and the stadium authority.”

More tailgating sites

Raiders President Marc Badain said the four leased locations would have paved parking, and each site would be capable of hosting tailgating activities.

Badain said tailgating opportunities would be possible on game days close to the stadium in the area where a natural-grass field on a giant moveable surface is parked. On game days, that surface would be slid into the stadium. That surface wouldn’t be available on UNLV game days, since the Rebels will play on an artificial surface.

Webb said pre-event planning isn’t done yet.

“Even though you’ll hear about our plan today, that plan will continue to evolve over time, even after the stadium opens, even five years after the stadium opens,” Webb told commissioners. “We’ll continue to look at every aspect of the game day, including parking, and improve on it. And we’ll continue to work on this over the next 696 days.”

That’s the amount of time left before the $1.8 billion stadium’s planned opening.

Webb said the Raiders deliberately chose to build on 63.5 acres at Russell Road and Interstate 15 to take advantage of the proximity of nearby resorts with their hotel rooms, restaurants and other amenities. He said the team estimates 20,000 people would walk to events at the stadium from nearby resorts on a regular basis.

Using Uber, Lyft

Webb also said the Las Vegas stadium is the first to be designed in the era of ride-hailing companies like Lyft and Uber, and that many fans would tailor their experience to getting a ride to events.

But the relatively small footprint of the site made it clear in September 2017 that there wouldn’t be enough room for the 16,250 parking spaces required for the stadium. Commissioners approved a series of nine waivers, the most critical of which was an 85.4 percent reduction in the number of required spaces. Commissioners then gave the Raiders a year to come up with the alternative parking plan that was presented Wednesday.

The fact that a dispersed, multiple-location plan — instead of a consolidated, single-location one — was presented Wednesday impressed commissioners the most.

“I want to go see the Raiders, but I don’t want to have to go on Saturday so that I can be there on Sunday,” Commissioner Jim Gibson said.

“It speaks volumes to what your team has done in this community,” added Commissioner Larry Brown. “Many of us on this commission have seen people come into Las Vegas and try to do it their way. The fact the Raiders have come in and literally become a part of the fabric of this community speaks very highly of your approach and collaboration. It’s a great indication of things go come.”

After the hearing, Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak presented Badain with a green “Al Davis Way” street sign for a road near the stadium honoring the late owner of the Raiders.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.